Use of hydroxamic acid derivatives for the preparation of anti-tumour medicaments

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the use of hydroxamic acid derivatives containing an amidobenzoic moiety for the preparation of anti-tumour medicaments.

The present invention relates to the use of hydroxamic acid derivatives containing an amidobenzoic moiety for the preparation of anti-tumour medicaments.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

Hydroxamic acid derivatives containing an amidobenzoic moiety are disclosed in EP 901465 as potential medicaments with anti-inflammatory and immuno-suppressive activity, ascribable to the inhibition of the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, in particular Tumour Necrosis Factor and interleukin-1-beta.

Said derivatives are represented by the following general formula (I)

wherein

-   R′ is hydrogen or (C₁₋₄)alkyl; -   A is adamantyl or a mono-, bi- or tricyclic residue, which can     optionally be partially or completely unsaturated, contain one or     more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, S or O,     and optionally substituted with hydroxy, alkanoyloxy, primary,     secondary or tertiary amino, amino(C₁₄)alkyl, mono- or     di-(C₁₋₄)alkyl-amino(C₁₋₄)alkyl, halogen, (C₁₄)alkyl,     tri(C₁₋₄)alkylammonium-(C₁₄)alkyl; -   is a 1 to 5 carbon atoms chain optionally containing a double bond     or a NR′ group wherein R′ is as defined above; -   R is hydrogen or phenyl; -   X is an oxygen atom or a NR′ group wherein R′ is either as defined     above or absent; -   r and m are independently 0, 1 or 2; -   B is a phenylene or a cyclohexylene ring; -   Y is hydroxy or an amino(C₁₋₅)alkyl chain optionally interrupted by     an oxygen atom;     with the proviso that a tricyclic group as defined for A is     fluorenyl only when, at the same time, X is different from 0 and Y     is different from hydroxy, unless said fluorenyl is substituted with     a tri(C₁₄)alkylammonium(C₁₄)alkyl group.

Preferred compounds of formula (I) are those in which R′ is hydrogen, A is optionally substituted phenyl or 1- or 2-naphthyl, cyclohexyl, 1- or 2-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthyl, adamantyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, 1- or 2-indenyl, tetrahydroquinolinyl, tetrahydroisoquinolinyl.

Most preferred are the compounds (I) in which A is phenyl or 1- or 2-naphthyl, R is phenyl when A is phenyl or is hydrogen when A is 1- or 2-naphthyl.

Said compounds can be prepared according to methods disclosed in EP 901465, herein incorporated by reference.

It has now been found that the compounds of formula (I) are endowed with anti-tumour activity both in vitro and in vivo.

The invention relates therefore to the use of compounds of formula (I)

wherein

-   R′ is hydrogen or (C₁₋₄)alkyl; -   A is adamantyl or a mono-, bi- or tricyclic residue, which can     optionally be partially or completely unsaturated, optionally     containing one or more heteroatoms selected from the group     consisting of N, S or O, and optionally substituited substituted     with hydroxy, alkanoyloxy, primary, secondary or tertiary amino,     amino(C₁₄)alkyl, mono- or di-(C₁₋₄)alkyl-amino(C₁₋₄)alkyl, halogen,     (C₁₄)alkyl, tri(C₁₋₄)alkylammonium-(C₁₄)alkyl; -   is a 1 to 5 carbon atoms chain optionally containing a double bond     or a NR′ group wherein R′ is as defined above; -   R is hydrogen or phenyl; -   X is an oxygen atom or a NR′ group wherein R′ is either as defined     above or absent; -   r and m are independently 0, 1 or 2; -   B is a phenylene or a cyclohexylene ring; -   Y is hydroxy or an amino(C₁₋₅)alkyl chain optionally interrupted by     an oxygen atom;     with the proviso that a tricyclic group as defined for A is     fluorenyl only when, at the same time, X is different from 0 and Y     is different from hydroxy, unless said fluorenyl is substituted with     a tri(C₁₄)alkylammonium(C₁₄)alkyl group for the preparation of     anti-tumor medicaments.

Compounds (I) can be used for the treatment of neoplasias of different origin, in particular of melanomas, colon, lung and breast carcinomas, neuroblastomas, sarcomas, varius forms of leukaemia (erythroleukaemia, acute promyelocytic leukaemia) and the like, at daily single or multiple doses ranging from 1 to 500 mg, depending on the disease and pharmaceutical and toxicological characteristics of the considered compound, which can be administered as suitable formulations through the oral, parenteral or topical route, for example through direct perfusion at the site of the tumour lesion. Moreover, the compounds of formula (I) can be administered in combination with other known antineoplastic agents, according to polychemotherapy protocols.

The activity of the compounds of formula (I) was evidenced in vitro, on cultured tumour cell lines, and in vivo, on the experimental model of the murine melanoma B16-BL6.

The following examples illustrate the invention in greater detail.

EXAMPLE 1 In Vitro Activity

The anti-tumour effect of the compound of example 12 of EP 901465, 4-[6-(diethylaminomethyl)naphth-2-ylmethyloxycarbamoyl)] benzohydroxamic acid hydrochloride (ITF 2357), was tested in vitro by measuring the capacity of the compound to inhibit the growth of tumour cell lines of different histotype deriving from both solid tumours and haematological tumours. The cell lines used were: A549 (pulmonary carcinoma), MDA-MB435 (breast carcinoma) and KG-1 (myeloid leukaemia).

A549 and MDA-MB435 cells (respectively grown in E-MEM and D-MEM culture medium, supplemented with 10% of fetal calf serum) were seeded on 96 wells-flat bottom-plates (5000 cells/well) and allowed to adhere for 4 hours at 37° C. under 5% CO₂ atmosphere. Thereafter ITF 2357 at various doses was added to each well (4 replicates). After further 36 hours, tritiated thymidine (1 μCi/well) was added to each well and left therein for the following 12 hours. After this time, the cells were washed 3 times with culture medium and then solubilized with 1N NaOH for 30 minutes.

A liquid scintillation beta counter was used for measurement of the radioactivity contained in each sample, which is directly proportional to DNA synthesis and therefore to cell proliferation. KG-1 cells, grown in RPMI 1640 culture medium, supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum, were seeded in 96 wells-flat bottom-plates (250000 cells/well). ITF 2357 at various doses was immediately added and after 36 hours tritiated thymidine was added to each well (1 μCi/well) and left therein for the following 12 hours. At the end the cells were collected by a cell harvester and the radioactivity contained in each sample which is directly proportionated to DNA synthesis and therefore to cell proliferation was measured by a liquid scintillation beta counter.

The effect of different doses of ITF 2357 was measured as percent of inhibition of radioactivity incorporation compared with untreated control cells. The concentration capable of inducing a 50% cell growth inhibition (IC₅₀) was then determined by means of linear regression.

The results obtained are summarized in the following table: Cell line A549 MDA-MB435 KG-1 IC₅₀(nM) 495 73 552

The results obtained show that ITF 2357 inhibits in vitro, at very low dosages (range 10-9M), the growth of the cell lines employed. ITF 2357 in particular inhibits cell growth both of cells from solid tumours (A549 and MDA-MB435) and from leukaemias (KG-1), therefore suggesting its use on tumours of different histotype.

EXAMPLE 2 In Vitro Activity

Cell lines derived from human solid tumours of different histotype and stabilised in vitro were used in the following experiment. In particular, three cell lines from head and neck tumours (KB, Ca127 and Hep2), two cell lines derived from colon carcinomas (HT-29 and LoVo) and four cell lines derived from melanomas (Colo38, Pes41, Pes43 and Anad) were studied.

The cells were grown according to conventional methods in flasks containing synthetic culture medium added with fetal serum, at 37° C. under 5% CO₂ atmosphere, then seeded in 96 wells plates and allowed to adhere for some hours. ITF 2357 was added in triplicate at increasing doses to each well and the cells were incubated for further 72 hours. Viable cells were labelled by dyeing with sulforhodamine B and their amount was determined by spectrophotometric evaluation of the dye content in each well. The effect of ITF 2357 was calculated as percentage of inhibition, at each concentration, of the dye incorporation in wells containing ITF 2357 compared with control wells (cells without drug). IC₅₀ values of ITF 2357 were calculated by Software Calcusyn (Biosoft) according to dose-response curves. ITF 2357 Cell line Tumour origin IC₅₀ (μM) KB Head-neck 0.64 Cal27 Head-neck 3.4 Hep-2 Head-neck 1 HT-29 Colon carcinoma 0.7 LoVo Colon carcinoma 2.5 Colo38 Melanoma 2.38 Pes41 Melanoma 1.6 Pes43 Melanoma 1.4 Anad Melanoma 5.7

EXAMPLE 3 In Vivo Activity

The anti-tumour effect of ITF 2357 was studied measuring the capacity of the compound to reduce the growth of the murine melanoma B16-BL6.

B16-BL6 tumour is a highly metastatic variant (Sciumbata T. et al. Invasion and Metastasis 1996; 16: 132-143) of the native tumour B16 and it grows subcutaneously in the syngenic mouse C57BL/6 (Gutman M et al. Cancer Biother. 1994; 9(2): 163-170).

B16-BL6 tumour cells were inoculated subcutaneously in female C57BL/6 mice (10 animals/group, weight 20-22 grams) at the dose of 2×10⁵ cells/mouse. ITF 2357 dissolved in water was administered orally, at the indicated doses, 10 minutes before the inoculum of the tumour cells and then daily for 6 days a week. The tumour growth was expressed as tumour weight, measuring twice a week, by means of a calibre, the two perpendicular diameters of the nodules. The weight was calculated according to the formula: (diameter 1×diameter 2)²/2 as described in Giavazzi R. et al. Cancer Res. 1986; 46: 1928-1933.

The results obtained are reported in the enclosed figures.

It can be observed that ITF 2357 exerts a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the tumour growth, since it reduced of about 50% the volume of the tumoural nodule after 15 days of treatment. 

1-4. (canceled)
 5. Use of 4-[6-diethylaminomethyl)naphth-2-ylmethyloxycarbamoyl]benzohydroxamic acid or of an acceptable salt thereof for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of neoplasias.
 6. Use according to claim 5 characterized in that said neoplasias are selected from melanomas, colon, lung and breast carcinomas, neuroblastomas, sarcomas and leukaemia.
 7. Use according to claim 6 characterized in that said leukaemia is selected from etythroleukaemia and promyelocytic leukaemia.
 8. Use according to claim 5 characterized in that 4-[6-diethylaminomethyl)naphth-2-ylmethyloxycarbamoyl]benzohydroxamic acid or the acceptable salt thereof are administered in combination with other antineoplastic agents. 